At 65, Shirley Ballas is an incredible dancer, a favourite judge on Strictly Come Dancing, and is a major source of inspiration – whether she’s sharing her dip in an ice bath on Instagram or campaigning to help people to manage their diabetes. So when she talks about how she stays well, we’re keen to listen.
As a lifelong professional dancer, not all of Shirley’s wellness routine will be suitable for us normal, non-dancing people. Hours and hours of training each week? Unlikely to be something we can fit in around full-time work and family commitments.
But we can copy a few of her more attainable tips for staying in great nick. In an interview with The Telegraph, Shirley shared that while she was tempted by all the noise around Ozempic and Mounjaro, she ultimately chose to steer clear of GLP-1s. Instead, she follows a few unexpected ‘rules’: one meal a day, no snacking, minimal sugar and reduced alcohol intake.
‘Over the last year, I’ve tried to cut sugar out completely, though I fail occasionally,’ Shirley explained. ‘I don’t nibble. My mum makes a “special coffee”: coffee, two brown sugars and a capful of brandy, if I get tired, as a 4pm treat. Sometimes, if we have guests, I might have wine, but I don’t really drink much unless it’s Christmas.’
Shirley has previously revealed the specifics of her one meal a day, stating on the Comfort Eating podcast that she enjoys chicken flavoured with lemon. ‘Just lemon chicken,’ she said, ‘but it’s a hot chicken that has just been baked and that’s what I have on Strictly.’ When she’s not filming, she told The Sun she will add a portion of rice, and will occasionally swap the chicken for another protein like beef.
Plenty of veg is also on the menu, of course. ‘I very much watch what I eat,’ Shirley has said. ‘If it’s green and grown in the ground, I’ll eat it.’
While the basics of green veg, chicken, and rice are all in line with a healthy diet, multiple experts have warned against having just one meal a day, also known as the OMAD diet. Intermittent fasting has been linked to benefits including increased longevity and improved metabolic health, but having a small meal with a 24-hour window of not eating in-between is particularly restrictive. In general, research suggests that the effects of any form of intermittent fasting hugely vary based on an individual’s activity levels and nutritional needs.
Registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert tells Good Housekeeping: ‘From a nutrition perspective, one meal a day isn’t something I’d generally recommend as a long-term approach for most people. Some forms of intermittent fasting may support weight management for certain individuals, however, the evidence doesn’t suggest it is superior to more balanced approaches, and it can also be difficult to sustain long term.’
‘The main concern is nutrient adequacy,’ she continues. ‘It is already challenging for many people in the UK to meet their fibre, calcium, omega-3, fruit and vegetable targets across a whole day, let alone within one meal. Adults are advised to aim for around 30g of fibre per day, yet NDNS data suggests around 96% of adults are not meeting this recommendation. Fibre is crucial for gut health, microbial diversity and long-term health, which is something I explore in my book, The Fibre Formula.
‘We also know that dietary diversity matters. Research from the American Gut Project found that people consuming 30 or more different plant foods per week tended to have a more diverse gut microbiome compared to those eating fewer than 10. A diverse gut microbiome has been linked to multiple aspects of health, including immune function, metabolic health and even mood! Restricting intake to one eating occasion per day may make achieving this variety more difficult for many people.’
Ticking off essential nutrients like calcium and healthy becomes even more important as we age, particularly for maintaining muscle mass and bone health. The reality is that getting enough of what you need in just one meal can be tricky.
Rhiannon adds: ‘Some people also feel much better with more regular nourishment throughout the day – what I’d call “steady fuelling” rather than long periods without food. This can support energy, concentration, appetite regulation and exercise recovery. For most people, I’d rather see a balanced pattern of meals built around plants, protein, fibre-rich carbohydrates and healthy fats than a one-meal-a-day approach.’
In short, while Shirley’s rules of reducing sugar intake, limiting alcohol, and avoiding grazing will work for most of us, if you’re considering intermittent fasting of any variety, you’ll need to discuss this with a medical professional first.
As Rhiannon explains: ‘It’s important to remember that nutrition is highly individual. What works for one person may not work for another, and it’s rarely helpful to replicate someone else’s eating pattern simply because it appears in the media.’
In terms of fitness, Shirley’s approach is fairly full-on. She has previously revealed that she has an ice bath each morning and does an hour and a half in the gym every day, preferring to pack this in before work – she has even said she gets her 10,000 steps ‘in before seven o’clock in the morning’.
But along with this more intensive routine are some gentler techniques. Shirley said: ‘I also do yoga, hot baths and treadmill running when I have time.’ She’s on to a winner there – while a cold water plunge is definitely good for you, a nice hot bath has benefits, too. Research has found that soaking in the tub not only burns calories but can also benefit cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory health. Having a hot bath after a workout is a great idea, as studies suggest this aids muscle recovery.
